Multi-cycle pipe cutter and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9353589-B2
Application number	US-201313837667-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Jan 21, 2011
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

A downhole cutting tool includes a tool body and a plurality of cutter knife sets, each of the plurality of cutter knife sets configured to extend outwardly to separately perform a pipe cutting operation. A first cutter knife set has a diameter in an extended position larger than a diameter in an extended position of a second cutter knife set. A method includes running the downhole cutting tool into a wellbore, deploying the first set of expandable cutting arms to an extended position and engaging the extended expandable cutting arms with a first work piece, rotating the downhole cutting tool and cutting the first work piece, deploying the second set of expandable cutting arms during a single trip into the wellbore to an extended position and engaging the extended expandable cutting arms with a second work piece, and rotating the downhole cutting tool and cutting the second work piece.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A downhole cutting tool comprising:
a tool body having a piston assembly disposed in a central bore thereof, the piston assembly configured to translate longitudinally along the central axis of the tool body; and
a plurality of cutter knife sets, each of the plurality of cutter knife sets including at least two individual cutter knives circumferentially spaced about a central axis of the tool body, each of the plurality of cutter knife sets coupled to the tool body and configured to selectively engage with the piston assembly to actuate independently and extend outwardly to separately perform a pipe cutting operation, a first cutter knife set of the plurality of cutter knife sets having a diameter in an extended position larger than a diameter in an extended position of a second cutter knife set of the plurality of cutter knife sets,
wherein the piston assembly is configured to translate and rotate with respect to the tool body to selectively engage at least one of the plurality of cutter knife sets.

2. The downhole cutting tool of claim 1 , wherein a length of at least one cutter knife of the first cutter knife set is longer than a length of at least one cutter knife of the second cutter knife set.

3. The downhole cutting tool of claim 1 , further comprising a third cutter knife set having a diameter in an extended position larger than the diameter of the first cutter knife set and the second cutter knife set.

4. The downhole cutting tool of claim 1 , further comprising at least one set of underreamer cutting arms.

5. The downhole cutting tool of claim 4 , wherein the piston assembly is configured to selectively actuate the at least one set of underreamer cutting arms.

6. The downhole cutting tool of claim 1 , further comprising at least one set of milling cutters.

7. The downhole cutting tool of claim 6 , wherein the piston assembly is configured to selectively actuate the at least one set of milling cutters.

8. The downhole cutting tool of claim 1 , the piston assembly being further configured to selectively engage the second cutter knife set and actuate and extend the second cutter knife set to the extended position while the first cutter knife set remains in a retracted position.

9. A method of operating a cutting tool downhole, the method comprising:
running a downhole cutting tool into a wellbore;
deploying a first set of expandable cutting arms to an extended position and engaging the extended first set of expandable cutting arms with a first work piece;
rotating the downhole cutting tool and cutting the first work piece;
decreasing fluid pressure acting on the downhole cutting tool;
after decreasing fluid pressure acting on the downhole cutting tool, deploying a second set of expandable cutting arms to an extended position and engaging the extended second set of expandable cutting arms with a second work piece, the first and second sets of expandable cutting arms being deployed during a single trip into the wellbore; and
rotating the downhole cutting tool and cutting the second work piece,
wherein deploying the first and second set of expandable cutting arms includes rotating and axially moving a piston assembly of the downhole cutting tool relative to the downhole cutting tool.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first work piece is an inner casing and the second work piece is an outer casing disposed around the inner casing.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first work piece is a casing and the second work piece is formation outside of the casing.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the rotating the downhole cutting tool and cutting the first work piece comprises milling a section of the casing.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the rotating the downhole cutting tool and cutting the second work piece comprises underreaming an exposed portion of formation through the milled section of the casing.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising deactuating and retracting the first set of expandable cutting arms.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein retracting the first set of expandable cutting arms includes maintaining the first set of expandable cutting arms retracted while deploying the second set of expandable cutting arms to an extended position.

16. The method of claim 9 , further comprising repositioning the downhole cutting tool prior to deploying the second set of expandable cutting arms.

17. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
deploying a third set of expandable cutting arms during the single trip into the wellbore to an extended position and engaging the extended expandable cutting arms with a third work piece; and
rotating the downhole cutting, tool and cutting the third work piece.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first work piece is an inner casing, the second work piece is an outer casing disposed around the inner casing, and the third work piece is a next outer casing disposed around the outer casing.

19. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first set of expandable cutting arms are milling cutters and the second set of expandable cutting arms are underreamer cutting arms.

20. A bottomhole assembly comprising:
a tool body;
a cutter knife set coupled to the tool body, the cutter knife set including at least two individual cutter knives circumferentially spaced about a central axis of the tool body;
an underreamer coupled to the tool body;
a casing mill coupled to the tool body, and
an actuation assembly configured to selectively actuate each of the cutter knife set, the underreamer, and the casing mill in a single trip downhole, the actuation assembly including a piston assembly in a central bore of the tool body, the piston assembly including an indexing track to direct selective actuation of at least one of the cutter knife set, the underreamer, or the casing mill.

21. The hottomhole assembly of claim 20 , the piston assembly configured to selectively actuate each of the cutter knife set, the underreamer, and the casing mill.

22. The bottomhole assembly of claim 21 , the piston assembly configured to selectively actuate the cutter knife set to an extended position while at least one of the underreamer or the casing mill remains in a retracted position.

23. The bottomhole assembly of claim 20 , the indexing track being circumferential and including at least:
a first track section which, when engaged with a travel pin, directs selective actuation of the cutter knife set while the underreamer and casing mill are deactivated;
a second track section which, when engaged with the travel pin, directs selective actuation of the underreamer, while the cutter knife set and casing mill are deactivated; and
a third track section which, when engaged with the travel pin, directs selective actuation of the casing mill, while the cutter knife set and underreamer are deactivated.

Assignees

• Smith International

Inventors

• Hekelaar Stephen

Classifications

• E21B23/006

  "J-slot" systems, i.e. lug and slot indexing mechanisms · CPC title

• E21B29/005 Primary

  with a radially-expansible cutter rotating inside the pipe, e.g. for cutting an annular window · CPC title